


Gem Noire

by ectojazzmage



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Film Noir, Horror, Mystery, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Prequel, Psychological Horror, Science Fiction, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 11:48:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13434090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ectojazzmage/pseuds/ectojazzmage
Summary: In a failing colony on a frozen world, a morganite is murdered. Investigation gives way to a labyrinth of questions. Two detectives-one old, one new-are assigned to learn the truth by any means. But when it feels like the world's ending and everyone has something to hide, the task is easier said than done.A mystery tale set in the world of Steven Universe.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a side project of sorts that's been kicking around in my head for a while. To be honest, there's a good chance that parts of this fic may get contradicted by future episodes, but for now it'll be as canon compliant as possible. Comments and critique are appreciated.

"If silence of the days and darkness of the nights is the indicator of the doomsday; we are already in it."  
\- M.F. Moonzajer 

"As I wander around this wreck of a town  
Where people never speak aloud  
With its ivory towers and its plastic flowers  
I wish I was back in 1981  
Just to see your face, instead of this place  
Now I know what you mean to me,  
And I wonder, yes I wonder, is this  
The way life's meant to be."  
\- Electric Light Orchestra, "The Way Life's Meant to Be"

"Last night I slept, had a dream, and woke with a start. It still feels strange to say all that. The idea that we can sleep like organic life is strange in and of itself. It serves no purpose to us. It doesn't recharge us or make us stronger or perform any other function. It's pointless. And that is what makes it a polemic. Against the Diamonds and their outdated, idiotic ideology. It serves no purpose, has no rigid structure, contributes nothing. It defies categorization. Like we should. Like everything does inevitably. No one can prevent it, the Diamonds included. Sleep, as a concept, obliterates their entire belief and political system."  
\- Iolite Facet-3F6D Cut-8YV, "To Be A Freak: A Treatise" (banned in Diamond-controlled space by imperial decree)

PROLOGUE

Snow drifted quickly past the shuttle window.  
"So what's the case?"  
"Agate wouldn't say. Said we had to meet her in person at the Kindergarten. Though, that pretty much narrows it down to what happened last night."  
"Last night? What happened?"  
"Seriously? You didn't get the news? What were you doing last night?"  
"I was busy. Just tell me what happened."  
"Morganite got shattered."  
Rutile blinked. She turned away from the window, "Which Morganite?"  
"Facet-9K6G Cut-3OL. The really nice one that was there when I was..", Amazonite trailed off, hoping that was enough detail. Now wasn't the time for memory lane.  
"Oh. Okay yeah I remember her. She's dead? What happened?"  
"I don't know. All they've said is that they went into the Kindergarten this morning and there she was. Shards all over," she shivered, "Sounded awful. Y'know I've heard people say you're still alive when that happens? Like, that you're all broken up and you know you are, but you can't get back together. You think that's true?"  
Rutile shook her head, "No. I've seen people get shattered. There's nothing there. Even if there is they vaporize the shards for the funeral and there's definitely nothing after that."  
"If you say so," said Amazonite. The tall gem kept her gaze directed out the windshield. The round, compact shuttle shook as it glided roughly along the bottom of the sky rail. Rutile hated riding in shuttles. They always shook and jostled and generally felt like they would fall off at any time, even when they were new. She tapped her knuckles against her window and looked back out. Besides the falling snow, all she could see were outlines of buildings and lights from various sources. The polar night cast everything else in dark. She couldn't wait for it to end. She couldn't wait for a lot of things to end. "How long do you think this place is gonna stay open?", she said.  
"What you mean the colony? How would I know? I'm an Amazonite not a Diamond."  
"I bet it'll be a month. I bet next month starts and we'll all get told to start dismantling everything because we're closing up."  
"Why would that happen? There's no reason to shut the colony down."  
Rutile snorted, "Are you kidding? This place is getting to be a ghost town. The miners aren't finding anything useful, the science teams already got all their data, even the Kindergarten hasn't been making much of anything. This whole system is a bust."  
"Don't say stuff like that."  
"Pfft. Why not?"  
"Because this place is our home. It's important. Every colony is important."  
"It isn't our home. Homeworld's our home. Homeworld's everybody's home. And this place isn't important. It's a fucking useless backwater with nothing but ice and canyons."  
Amazonite gave her a worried look. Rutile shook her head and looked back out the window. There was no sound except the chattering of the shuttle's engines and the soft flickering of it's lights.  
"You mind if I turn the radio on?", said Amazonite.  
"Why?"  
"Its too quiet in here. You know I don't... like quiet."  
Rutile gave her a sideways glance. "Go ahead," she said. At that, Amazonite reached at the dashboard in front of them, fiddling with knobs and buttons until the shuttle's radio crackled to life. With it came a scratchy, unenthusiastic voice:  
"-is only the latest in a string of lost battles in the Tau sector. Attempts by Authority forces to retake the sector have been met with failure over the past weeks, as the traitorous Electric Republics have seemingly devoted much of their military to the area. The glorious Diamonds have reassured the public that strategy is being rethought and that the Tau sector will be liberated from Republic control soon. Hail to the Diamonds. Now, let's get back to something that always brightens up this dark little colony of ours. Sweet, sweet music."  
A soothing, jazzy tune began playing. Rutile stared at the passing shapes and lights of Colony 994, letting the music accompany the view. Snow seemed to be falling much heavier now. Eventually, she glanced up at the sky and was unsurprised to find that she couldn't make out many stars.


	2. Chapter 2

"Investigation was like a series of job interviews. Getting the door slammed in your face at every attempt wasn’t the exciting life of the detective portrayed on film or television."  
\- Kenneth Eade

"When meteorites hit the neon lights  
Spaceships travel at the speed of light  
A million stars in the sky  
I hear the Queen's on the alien's side"  
\- The Ramones, "Zero Zero UFO"

"It's only when you get an outside perspective that you realize how tiny your world really is. I never knew just how little the Diamonds really controlled, how decayed their whole society was, until I got out of it all. I look back on my time serving them and I laugh at myself for ever thinking I would be rewarded for my work. The only reward I would've gotten is a front row seat as Homeworld rotted and died around me."  
\- Pearl Facet-4N9I Cut-2TX, "Memoirs of a Freed Slave" (banned in Diamond-controlled space by imperial decree)

ACT ONE

Agate rubbed her chin. Around her, robonoids and gems of various types scurried about the Kindergarten, carrying out assorted tasks. Some performed busywork until the Rutile and Amazonite arrived to begin the investigation. Others tried their best to keep the crime scene clear of snow; a difficult task, given how much was falling. In the distance, Injectors whirred loudly as they drilled. Agate sighed deeply. Her eyes had not left the patch of ground in front of her since she first saw it. On that patch laid a pile of light purple shards, scattered about. "Why did this have to happen now?", she whispered.  
"My Agate. They're here."  
Agate finally tore her eyes away from the shards to look at her Pearl. The skinny yellow gem was bowing and gesturing towards the nearby warp pad where, sure enough, the Rutile and Amazonite had just arrived. She crossed her arms in salute, "Greetings."  
Rutile returned the favor, than spoke, "Sorry if we're late. The warp pad at the security station is out again. We had to take the shuttle to another one. So," she rubbed her hands together, "what's the timeline here?"  
Agate gestured to the spot where the shards that used to be a morganite were, "Five hours ago this Morganite and a Peridot came into this area to check on an Injector that was reporting a finished insertion. They never came back and didn't answer their comms when hailed, so another Peridot was sent to investigate. She found the Morganite's remains and called it in."  
Rutile tapped the side of her face, "Where's the Peridot that came in with her?"  
"We don't know. We're searching but I suspect she's either dead as well or no longer in the Kindergarten."  
Rutile nodded and brushed past Agate. She kneeled by the shards, "Have the remains been touched or altered?"  
"No."  
"Good," she said. "Contact the security station and tell them to prepare the forensic lab. When we're done here we'll gather them up and scan them, see if we can find the method of shattering. Where's the Peridot who found the scene?"  
"I'll have my Pearl take you to her, but first uh... well I had a question..." Rutile arched an eyebrow. "What?" "How long will this take? Exactly?" "I can't say right now. We haven't even had a chance to examine the crime scene." "Yes but if you had to... to guesstimate or something..." Rutile stood and looked the Agate in the eye. She stepped close. Agate tried to back up, only to bump into something. She looked back to see the Amazonite looming behind her. "Agate, are you impeding our investigation," asked the Rutile. "No! No I- of course not! I just need to be in the know. I'm the commander of this colony after all..." "Do you need reminding that - in matters of criminal justice - Rutiles and Amazonites outrank you? Do you need reminding of what Amazonites do to Gems who impede their Rutiles?" Agate glanced back at the imposing Gem behind her, eyes wide with fear. Amazonite said nothing, her expression unreadable. "P-Pearl, direct them to the witness," said Agate.  
The Pearl nodded, "Yes, my Agate. This way please."  
She began walking over to an inactive Injector. Rutile stared at the Agate for a moment, then followed the Pearl, gesturing for Amazonite to come along. At the Injector, guarded by two Amethysts, their witness sat uncomfortably on rock. The fingers of her limb enhancers twisted and spun nervously. As they neared, Rutile waved the Amethysts away and coughed to get the bright green gem's attention, "I'm told you found this Morganite?"  
"Y-yes."  
"Go ahead and tell me what happened."  
"I was told to find the Morganite and the Peridot. I came in on the same warp pad you did and found the.... the pieces. Of her. That's all."  
Rutile looked up, inspecting the Injector they all stood under. The machine's three sharp legs propped up a drill and a spire full of multicolored liquid. She didn't quite understand why machines meant to create life had to look so... imposing. "Is this Injector the one they came in to inspect," she asked.  
The Peridot spared a brief look at the Injector, "Uhm, yes I think it is."  
"Then why's it still full? Shouldn't it be empty if it finished insertion?"  
The Peridot turned back to Rutile, "I-I don't know. The Morganite told us it had finished insertion. She wouldn't lie about that."  
"Never say never," said Rutile, "Did you see anything else when you came in? Every detail could be vital."  
"I... I thought that I... I mean, I was- was nervous and I probably imagined it. But... for a second I thought I saw an eye. Up in the sky."  
"An eye?"  
"I don't- it was just a cloud probably, but for a split second... yeah it kinda looked like an eye. Up there," she pointed, somewhat uselessly, at the sky. Rutile stared at the area the Peridot pointed at. There were plenty of clouds today, dropping snow near perpetually.  
"Alright," she said without averting her gaze, "I think we've got what we need. You're free to go, Peridot."  
"R-really? I'm not in trouble?"  
"Why would you be in trouble?"  
"I... I saw something that probably wasn't there. What if that means I'm... that I'm defective...?"  
"It takes a lot more than your eyes playing tricks on you to be considered defective. Take it from someone who knows."  
The small gem tapped her fingers together nervously, then stood and began walking away. Rutile continued staring at the clouds. Amazonite tapped her shoulder, "What are you looking at?"  
"Nothing. Just thinking."  
"About?"  
"A lot. Come on, let's have a look at the remains."  
Some distance behind them, another Injector began drilling into the hard ground beneath it. Dirt and pebbles sprinkled on the robonoid that had been intently watching Rutile and Amazonite since they arrived. The tiny machine emitted a few beeps, then scurried off in the opposite direction.


End file.
